What works to support girls to reach their full capabilities? A review of reviews of girls’ empowerment programming and interventions

It is now widely recognised that empowering adolescent girls through interventions that directly address gendered inequalities offers a means to accelerate global progress on reducing poverty. A decade on from the 2014 Girl Summit, examining the wealth of evidence on girls’ empowerment that has been generated in the intervening period offers an opportunity to reflect on what has been learned so far, and identify what knowledge gaps are still necessary to fill if we are to fulfil the promise of the Sustainable Development Agenda and fast-track social change for and with girls.

This review of reviews consolidates understanding of the effects of different characteristics and components of interventions aimed at empowering girls, and identifies broader implications for future efforts.

Suggested citation:

Pincock, K. and Jones, N. (2025) What works to help girls reach their full capabilities? A review of reviews of girls’ empowerment programming and interventions. Working paper. London: Gender and Adolescence: Global evidence (https://www.gage.odi.org/publication/what-works-to-support-girls-to-reach-their-full-capabilities-a-review-of-reviews-of-girls-empowerment-programming-and-interventions/)